No Bake Cherry Cheesecake || Gracefult Kitchen

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No Bake Cherry Cheesecake

Desserts

This no-bake cherry cheesecake is an easy summertime treat. This no-bake cheesecake recipe has omega-3-rich walnuts in the graham cracker crust and uses nonfat Greek yogurt and reduced-fat cream cheese in the filling to keep saturated fat in check. If you want a bright red topping, use sour cherries. Sweet cherries give it a more purple hue. To make gluten-free no-bake cherry cheesecake, use gluten-free graham crackers.

Ingredients

4 cups halved pitted sour or sweet cherries, fresh or frozen (thawed, drained; see Tips)
¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup plus 4 teaspoons water, divided
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Half a 14-ounce box graham crackers, preferably whole-wheat
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tips)
⅓ cup neutral oil, such as canola or avocado
2 8-ounce packages reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
2 cups nonfat plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Description

Combine cherries, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch with 4 teaspoons water, then stir into the cherry mixture; return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the liquid thickens and looks syrupy, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Process graham crackers in a food processor until finely ground. Add walnuts and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl; stir in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Drizzle with oil and stir to combine. Press into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Beat cream cheese, yogurt, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Spread over the crust. Spoon the cherry mixture over the top. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours.